This group of youthful swimmers, based out of the Butte Family
YMCA, will spend the weekend at the University of Montana, where it
will compete at the short course state championships.

Will the Tarpons come back with a team championship? Not likely.
But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t success to be
found.

Twelve swimmers will represent the Tarpons, a tiny number when
compared to the contingencies that will be swimming for teams from
Bozeman, Billings and Missoula. There will be about 400 competitors
trying to make the biggest splash at the event this weekend.

The Tarpons will hit the water intent on beating the competition
in their respective events. With only 12 swimmers, the Tarpons
aren’t likely to put a dent in the team standings for the
three-day event.

“Winning individual races are what we’re looking
at,” said coach Susan Huckeby. “It’s all about
the race against the clock.”

The proverbial carrot that will be dangling in front of the
noses of the Tarpon swimmers, including 14-year-old Elsie Dickerson
and 12-year-old Grant Robins, are the medals that will be awarded
to the top seven finishers in each event. Those who finish in
eighth through 14th place will get ribbons.

“I’m nervous,” Robins said Wednesday night at
practice. “I don’t really know what to expect because
I’ve never been to anything like this before. But you just
have to be the fastest that you can be. Once I get wet, I zone
everything else out and focus on my swimming.”

Dickerson has been to the state championships before and knows
what to expect. She was quick to point out the obvious while
warning of the pitfalls that come with being in such a big meet.
“There are a lot of people and a lot of fast swimmers,”
she said. “Don’t miss your race because they
won’t wait for you.”

That shouldn’t be a problem for the Tarpons. Many of
Butte’s youth have been swimming in the program for a few
years and one of the first things they are taught is to listen.

Huckeby and Missoula’s Emily Hallgrimson have devoted
countless hours to the young swimmers, teaching them the methods
and moves needed to excel in their respective events. That, Huckeby
says, is why listening is so important. “It’s the
little things,” she said as the keys to getting better.
“How to listen is important because once they listen, they
can do better.”

Two of the Tarpons’ prized listeners and swimmers are
Teyla Williams and Xana Skocilich. The two 8 year olds joined the
program about seven months ago and have since qualified to compete
in Missoula this weekend. Skocilich and Williams will compete in
the girls’ 8-and-under 25-yard backstroke and the 50-yard
backstroke.

Swimming at events like these and continuing to be involved in
programs like the Butte Tarpons can open the door to endless
possibilities. Gold medal winners Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin
got their starts at programs similar to the Tarpons.

While it might be too early to tell if Olympic gold will one day
come out of the Butte Family YMCA’s pool, it’s evident
that the Tarpons are a team headed in the right direction.